Other Steve Smith nominated for Hall of Fame, causes confusion

The Pro Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday announced the 108 nominees for the Class of 2018, and one particular name on the list stood out to many.

Only 11 first-year eligible players made the ballot, which isn’t very many. Being included on that list is an honor and tribute to a career of excellence. So you can imagine the confusion that was caused when the name “Steve Smith” appeared in the wide receivers section. After all, the longtime Carolina Panthers wide receiver who made five Pro Bowls just retired last year. So how did he appear on the ballot already?

Yes, you remember the Steve Smith who played for the New York Giants and had 107 catches for 1,220 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2009, don’t you? That Steve Smith played college ball at USC and was a second-round pick by the Giants in 2007. He played from 2007-2012 and had 2,641 career yards and 12 touchdowns — you know, numbers the other Smith would top in two seasons with the Panthers.

So how did the Giants’ Smith get nominated? Any fan can nominate a player.

So Smith had a nice little career revival today, but you can bet he’ll be the first name cut when the semifinalists are announced in November. And it’s too bad he retired before his Rams dream came true.